Have you been caught up in the panic over whether to get rid of your Facebook account?
The issue has certainly dominated the headlines this week hasn’t it? You have to wonder if that’s partially because the mainstream press perceives Facebook as their nemesis and see this as a wonderful opportunity to gloat. A case in point is an article from The Guardian newspaper written last year, titled ‘Why Facebook is public enemy number one for newspapers, and journalism’.
Even the reporting over the access to call/text logs was a bit misleading as apparently it turns out this only affected Android users who actually consented via the Google App Store to disclose these details.
Deleting your account now is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, but company founder Marc Zuckerberg has not helped his case by refusing to appear in front of a Commons Inquiry into data breaches at Westminster.
The issue, as I understand it, is that a UK based marketing firm exploited information obtained through Facebook 3rd party apps. Quizzes such as ‘Can you pass the British citizenship test’ or “What Would You Look Like as the Opposite Sex’? were all portals to gain access to you and your online friends’ details. I just can’t believe that the majority of you are so easily manipulated to then vote a certain way by what you are fed online. Those that are would also be wise to avoid door-to-door canvassers!
I think most of us understand that Facebook is free because it makes money by analyzing our posts to determine which adverts to target us with. I for one would much rather be told where to get a Galaxy Easter Egg or cheap flights to the UK, than suffer through the Viagra ads or ‘Meet Hot Russian Girls” that I used to be bombarded with. Facebook is a fantastic conduit, by which I connect to my large circle of family and friends who are scattered all around the world, as well as playing an essential role liaising with the members of Brits in LA. Personally, giving up a bit of my info (which I’m obviously quite happy to share socially/publicly) is not too high of a price to pay.
If the NRA, Republicans, Democrats, or the Brexiteers want to pay Facebook to find out that I can answer all the questions on ‘Name these 80s bands’ and that I’m going to die on Wednesday at 8pm, I don’t really care. Who’s to say that I answered the questions honestly anyway? Funnily enough, one thing I did do a few months after I first started my account was to change my year of birth so that it appeared that I was born in the 1930’s. This action seemed to stop the stream of ‘romantic’ propositions I was getting from potential Romeos living in far flung places. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and whether you think I am missing the point.
Lots of you have been asking for the details of our Royal Wedding Viewing Party. Yes, we are definitely having one, and it will once again be an all-nighter at The Cat & Fiddle Pub. So mark your calendars for May 18th – the wedding of course falls on the 19th in the UK, however due to the time difference the shenanigans begin here the evening before. Full details will be announced this week, so keep an eye on our Facebook page. For those of you who have quit social media (or were never on it in the first place) visit our website www.Britsin.LA or email us at info@britsin.la.
Enjoy the sunshine this Easter weekend, as I don’t think we have quite seen the back of the rain just yet…
Cheers!
Eileen
